NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — The James River was calm Sunday morning as Jason Edwards, his father and another man set sail from Huntington Park Marina. Their 21-footer carried rods, reels, bait, food and drinks for a day of fishing for croaker and spot.
Edwards, who has spent 25 years in the Newport News Fire Department and 20 years with the volunteer fire department in Smithfield, keeps his head on a swivel at sea and on land.
“About five minutes into the trip, I realized that something didn’t look right,” Edwards said. “There was a boat by the bridge with some smoke coming out of it.”
Edwards called for backup. A scanner traffic service captured dispatcher communications.
“The state police is advising the boat is fully engulfed. Firefighter Edwards is enroute.”
Surveillance video caught part of the inferno at sea.
“And as we got closer, we realized the boat was on fire,” Edwards said. “The smoke got thicker and flames started coming over the side of it.”
He rushed to the scene, which was just beyond the span of the James River Bridge.
“There were no other boats around,” Edwards said, “so, as we approached the boat and got to it, we realized no one was on the boat. But as we were scanning, looking around, we saw the six individuals underneath the bridge and they were clinging on to the pylons underneath the bridge.”
Gingerly, Edwards’ team plucked the six people from the pylons. Two were suffering from burns, three were wearing life vests and one was clinging to a life ring. Dispatchers monitored the rescue.
“I’ve spoken to the firefighter. He does have six people coming to Huntington right now.
Edwards said the six people his team rescued did not speak English, and it appears they spoke Spanish. The fear in their eyes, Edwards said, needed no translation.
“They were a little panicked and in a little pain,” Edwards said. “You know, they had experienced something that they weren’t expecting.”
Edwards’ 21-footer was at capacity when he returned to Huntington Park, where other first responders and a translator awaited their arrival. Fire officials could not comment on the conditions of the patients, but based on scanner traffic, it appears at least one was transported by air.
Battalion one, just to confirm, are two helicopters still needed? [No] just one.
After the rescue, the Edwards team returned to the James River, where they caught dozens of his dad’s favorite local fish.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
